Guimaras records first gun ban violator

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A drunken 38-year-old man was arrested after showing-off his firearm while at a fiesta celebration evening of Jan 15, 2022 in San Lorenzo, Guimaras.

His arrest earned Arnold Epelipsia, a resident of Barangay Cabano, San Lorenzo, the “bragging rights” as the first gun ban violator in Guimaras in relation to the May 2022 polls.

Epelipsia was nabbed 2 a.m. Sunday at Barangay Cabano following a hot pursuit operation.

Staff Sergeant Alejandro Calibara, San Lorenzo police investigator, said Epilepsia was already drunk when he went to a house at Sitio Tumanda, which was celebrating its annual fiesta.

The house is where a member of the Guimaras PNP’s Explosives and Ordnance Division (EOD) lives.

The EOD cop claimed that the drunken Epelipsia has been brandishing and showing off his gun to other party goers.

This prompted him to nab Epelipsia. But the suspect was able to shake himself off and fled on foot.

The EOD member subsequently called the local police for assistance.

Calibara said they waited for several hours until the suspect surfaced before arresting him.

“We knew that he would come back because he left his motorcycle,” Calibara said.

Arresting policemen recovered a sling bag with a caliber .38 revolver loaded with six ammunition and nine more ammunitions of unidentified caliber.

Calibara said Epelipsia denied the accusation and didn’t offer any explanation.

Police are looking into the allegations that the suspect had a previous case for illegal gun possession in Passi City, Iloilo.

Epelipsia is now detained and would be charged for violation of the election gun ban and Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).